“Aid convoys carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, Israeli officials
said Wednesday, the first major delivery in a month to the devastated, isolated
area, where the U.N. has warned of worsening starvation among hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians amid Israel’s offensive. The increasing alarm over
hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire as the U.S.,
Egypt and Qatar work to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in
fighting and the release of some of the hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7
attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far
apart in public on their demands. Increasing the pressure on Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal, families of hostages on Wednesday
launched a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their
loved ones be set free. Some of the around 100 hostages freed during a
cease-fire in late November are joining the march, which is to end near
Netanyahu’s official residence.”











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Eye on Extremism



February 29, 2024



Associated Press: Food Aid Reaches North Gaza For First Time In Weeks. Israeli
Hostages’ Families Push For Release
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“Aid convoys carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, Israeli officials
said Wednesday, the first major delivery in a month to the devastated, isolated
area, where the U.N. has warned of worsening starvation among hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians amid Israel’s offensive. The increasing alarm over
hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire as the U.S.,
Egypt and Qatar work to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in
fighting and the release of some of the hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7
attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far
apart in public on their demands. Increasing the pressure on Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal, families of hostages on Wednesday
launched a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their
loved ones be set free. Some of the around 100 hostages freed during a
cease-fire in late November are joining the march, which is to end near
Netanyahu’s official residence.”



Associated Press: Turkey Bears Responsibility For Possible War Crimes In
Syria, Human Rights Watch Says
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“Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that Turkey bears responsibility for some
of the abuses and possible war crimes committed in Syria, mostly against
Kurdish residents in northern Syria. The New York-based watchdog said the
abuses were committed by Turkish forces and also armed factions backed by
Ankara in areas they control in northern Syria. There was no immediate response
from Turkey over the accusations, which came in a new, 74-page report by HRW.
As an occupying power in northern Syria, Turkey has had the responsibility to
restore public order and safety, protect residents and hold those responsible
for abuses accountable, the report said. Since 2016, Turkey has launched three
major operations inside Syria, targeting Syria’s main Kurdish militia — the
People’s Protection Units or YPG, a U.S.-backed faction that Turkey considers
to be a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers Party, or PKK.”



CEP Mentions



The Daily Express: Islamists And Muslims Are Not The Same, And We Need To Be
Clear About That
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“Since the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel, activists associated with
Islamist political groups like Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ut-Tahrir
have been more visible than ever on British streets. It’s hard to imagine then,
that despite some shocking scenes, the result might not be increased
understanding and vigilance towards the presence of an anti-democratic
political ideology in Britain, but quite the opposite - the further narrowing
of an already stifled debate. First, Lord Ian Austin was the target of
Islamophobia allegations. His crime? To describe Hamas as “Islamist rapists and
murderers” in a tweet. Then, thanks to Lee Anderson MP’s offensive comments
directed at Mayor Sadiq Khan, some commentators have sought to delegitimise the
term ‘Islamist’ altogether, portraying those who use it as somehow bigoted or
racist. This is wrong. ‘Islamist’ may be sometimes abused but it is not only an
academically accepted term, it is a necessary one to differentiate a 20th
century political ideology from Islam - the faith followed by nearly two
billion people.”



CapX: We Have Surrendered Civilised Discourse To Violent Bigotry
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“Last week, I sat in Portcullis House, the modern addition to the Palace of
Westminster opposite Big Ben housing the offices of many of our legislators.
After formidable security I waited in a holding pen, keeping company with
several police ballistic shields propped against a wall, not far from where a
couple of heavily armed officers scanned visitors with practised indifference.
We live in the age of extremity. Reminders are potent and unsettling. Do
Members of Parliament deserve special protection? What does this mean for the
rest of us? The answer to the first question ought to be straightforward. Last
week we were told the Speaker of the House of Commons subverted parliamentary
process because of fears Labour MPs would be targeted with violence by
protestors if their amendment on a ceasefire on the Gaza conflict did not take
precedence in a vote. The baroque explanations for this chicanery should not
detain us, but the underlying menace must. Democratic representation, cowed by
what the singer Chris Rea memorably called, ‘the perverted fear of violence’,
is a blade to the fabric of liberal democracy in our country.”



WTOP News: The Hunt: Al-Qaida Has Been Quiet For Months. Security Officials
Are Concerned
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“On this week’s edition of “The Hunt with WTOP national security correspondent
J.J. Green,” Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism
Project, said al-Qaida is now shifting its operations.”



Iran



Voice Of America: Iran-Backed Attacks Slow Since 3 US Service Members Killed
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“Attacks by Iranian-backed proxies have slowed since the drone attack in
January that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan near the Syrian
border. There have been only two minor attacks in Syria since Feb. 2, when the
United States launched retaliatory attacks on targets in Syria and Iraq. But
U.S. lawmakers warned Wednesday that the lull does not de-escalate the risks of
a regional conflict. “Iran doesn't have complete command and control of their
operations,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin said
Wednesday. “That makes this a very precarious situation, one that requires
careful clear-eyed American leadership. The risks of miscalculation would not
only lead to another deadly attack against U.S. service members, it could lead
to a full-scale regional war.” The U.S. military said U.S. and coalition forces
shot down five Houthi drones late Tuesday in the Red Sea.U.S. Central Command
said the drones were launched from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed
Houthi rebels and that the drones “presented an imminent threat to merchant
vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region.”



Turkey



Associated Press: Turkish Drones Kill 3 In An Attack On A Local Christian
Militia In Northeastern Syria, Officials Say
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“Turkish drone strikes in northeastern Syria on Wednesday killed at least
three members of a local Christian force and wounded others, including
civilians, a Kurdish official and a Syrian opposition war monitor said. Also on
Wednesday, reported Israeli airstrikes hit Damascus, and in the southern Syrian
city of Sweida, security forces opened fire at protesters angry over the
country’s worsening economy as they tried to break into the offices of
President Bashar Assad’s ruling Baath Party. A 52-year-old man was shot in the
chest and later died of his wounds. There was no immediate comment from Ankara
on Wednesday’s airstrikes. Turkey has been attacking Kurdish fighters in Syria
for years but attacks on the fighters from the country’s Christian minority
have been rare. The force that was targeted, the local Christian Syriac police
known as Sutoro, works under the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Autonomous
Administration of North and East Syria.”



Middle East



Reuters: U.N. Rights Chief: War Crimes Committed By All Parties In
Israel-Hamas Conflict
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“U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday said war crimes had been
committed by all parties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, calling for
them to be investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable.
"Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws,
including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have
been committed by all parties," Turk told the U.N. Human Rights Council in
Geneva. "It is time - well past time - for peace, investigation and
accountability." Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages in
an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. The attack sparked
an Israeli offensive in Hamas-run Gaza, which it says is intended to rescue the
remaining hostages and eradicate Hamas. Health authorities in Gaza say more
than 30,000 people have been confirmed killed during the offensive. Turk, who
was presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, said his office had recorded "many incidents that
may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces". He added there were also
indications that Israeli forces have engaged in "indiscriminate or
disproportionate targeting" in violation of international law.”



Associated Press: Strike On Palestinians Waiting For Aid Kills 70, Gaza
Officials Say, Taking War’s Toll Past 30,000
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“A strike early Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for humanitarian
aid in Gaza City killed at least 70 people, bringing the death toll since the
start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, health officials said. Gaza
City and the surrounding areas in the enclave’s north were the first targets of
Israel’s air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7
attack. The area has suffered widespread devastation and has been largely
isolated during the conflict. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this
week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said
Wednesday. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver
humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of
coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown
of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The
U.N. says a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around
80% have fled their homes.”



Reuters: New Zealand Lists Hamas As Terrorist Group, Sanctions 'Extremist'
Israeli Settlers
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“New Zealand on Thursday listed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its
entirety as a terrorist entity and imposed travel bans on "extremist" Israeli
settlers whom it said had committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the
West Bank. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement that the
attacks by the Hamas on Israel in October "were brutal and we have
unequivocally condemned them." But he added that "New Zealand wants to be clear
that the designation of Hamas is about the actions of an offshore terrorist
entity and is not a reflection on the Palestinian people in Gaza and around the
world."



Europe



Reuters: Poland Detains Russian Citizen Accused Of Being Member Of Islamic
State
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“Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has detained a Russian citizen
accused of being a member of Islamic State (IS), the National Prosecutor's
Office said in a statement on Thursday. "The prosecutor... charged the detainee
with being part of armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic aimed at committing
crimes of a terrorist nature," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. It
said that the accused had been a part of Jabhat Al-Nusra and al Qaeda before
joining IS. The man is being held in pre-trial detention for three months and
if found guilty could face eight years in prison.”



Associated Press: Austria’s Top Diplomat Appeals For A Pause In Mideast
Fighting For The Muslim Holy Month Of Ramadan
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“Austria’s foreign minister on Thursday urged Israel and Lebanon’s militant
Hezbollah group against escalating the conflict along the volatile
Israel-Lebanon border and expressed hope for a pause in the fighting in Gaza in
time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March. The Middle
East has witnessed enough devastation and cruelty, said Alexander Schallenberg,
speaking after meeting his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut. Schallenberg said he
came to Lebanon after visiting Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian city of
Ramallah in the Israeli occupied West Bank. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes on
Lebanese villages along the southern border killed two people and wounded 14
others in the village of Kafra, state-run National News Agency reported. Since
the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, after Palestinian militants stormed
parts of southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage,
Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts, drawing return fire from Israel in
daily exchanges. More than 210 Hezbollah fighters and nearly 40 civilians have
been killed since then on the Lebanese side.”



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